Improvement in steam-boilers



v UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE- F. P. DIMPFEL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No, 14,555, dated April 1, 1856.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F. P. DIMPFEL, of Philadelphia,in theState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Boilers and in the Furnaces thereof, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specication, in which Figure 1 is a plan of my improved boiler with portions of the outer shell removed to exhibit the internal arrangements; Fig. 2, alongitudinal vertical section taken at the line A a of Fig. l, and Figs. 3 and 4f cross vertical sections taken at the line B b and C c of Fig. 1./

The same letters indicate like parts inA all the figures.

The first part of my invention relates to a method of consuming the small particles of coal which are carried by the force of the blast from the fire-chamber into the fines, and which if not consumed clog the flues. This part of my invention consists in connecting with the main flue of the boiler a vessel or. receptacle with small apertures at or near the bottom thereof for the admission of atmospheric air, which vessel or receptacle is fitted to a hole in the bottom of the main flue back of the fire-chamber and in front of a check or deilector .introduced in the flue. Under this connection, when the current induced by the draft or blast moves from the fire-chamber through the flue and is deflected by the check or detlector, the line particles of coal which are carried by the current are so much checked in their motion that they fall into the receptacle, and, being in a highly-heated state, the supply of atmospheric air through the small apertures at or near the bottom of the said receptacle induces combustion, which consumes them as fast as they are supplied. In this Way the clogging of the lues is prevented and the heat in the ilues increased. s

The second part of my invention relates to the disposition of the flue for directing the products of combustion from among the water-tubes in the main llue to the smoke-box by a mode of construction which at the same time facilitates the introduction and removal of the Water-tubes for the purposes of repairs.

In the construction of tubular boilers heretofore secured to meby Letters Patent, the rear ends of the horizontal part of the waterftubes have been secured to a single tube-sheet, and the products of combustion after circulating among the tubes have been deflected and carried by a flue at top or bottom around the edges otl the tube-sheet tothe smoke-box behind. This mode of construction has been found to be objectionable for the reason that the deflection of the products of combustion prevents the heat from acting on the rear ends of the middle tubes, and the tube-sheet, being a single plate, required the tubes, when taken out for repairs, to be removed through the front or furnacey door, which for that ence to the removal of the tubes. To avoid the defects above enumerated, this part of my invention consists in making the back tube-sheet in two parts or with a space cut out in the middle to form a flue-space leading from the middle of the group of tubes to the smoke-box behind. By this means the products of combustion will have a more direct action on the rear ends of the tubes, and

tubes, and the last partof my invention relates to the arrangement of the bent-up ends-of the Water-tubes Where they are connected with the crown-plate of the furnace. `watertubes are curved or bent up at their forward end the inner ones of the series cannot be taken out and replaced for the purpose greater than their diameter.

their external diameter would make the Convenien ce for repairs requires the tubes to vbe far apart. The amount of steam required to be generated within a given size ofA locomotive-boiler requires them to be placed very near to each other, and the increasedamount of flame and heated gases which. lWil-l be introduced under the-construction mentioned as constitutingthe Vfirst part of my invention will call for a greater amount of space between the tubes than when the combustion is only excited by the draft, as heretofore usually induced in the furnaces of locomotives. In View ofthese circumstances a necessity has arisen for a new arrangement of the forward 'reason had to be located with special referthe middle Hue-space leading to the smokebox will facilitate the removal of the Water- As thefof repairs unless the spaces between thembe To place theV tubes all at a distance apart greater thanl amount of heating-surfacetoo small for the. size to which locomotive-boilers are'limitedr evolved from the fire by reason of the blast Y end of the water-tubes, and to meet the circumstances above stated the last part of my invention consists in connecting the bentup ends of the water-tubes with the crown-sheet of the boiler in a series of double rowsin the direction of the length of the boiler, placing the tubes constituting each double row very near to each other, and the double rows at a greater distance apart than the external diameter of t-he several tubes. In this way any tube when disconnected can be moved laterally to one of the wide spaces to be drawn ont, the required amount ot space is given for the increased volume of flame and heated gases, while at the same time a greater number of tubes can be put in a boiler of a given size than if the spa-ces between the several tubes were greater than the "external diameter of the tubes. The Hame and-gases passing up freely in the wide spaces will spread laterally and thus act with nearly as good an effect as if wide spaces were left between all the rows of tubes.

In the accompanying drawings, which represent a boiler having all the characteristic features described in Letters Patent granted to me by t-he United States and bearing date the 16th day of July, 1850, a are the tubes, the bent-up ends of which are secured to the crown-sheet b of the furnace in a series of double rows in thedirection of thelength ofthe boiler, the spaces between the two single rows constituting the double rows, being less than the external diameter of the tubes,and the spaces between the double rows being greater than the external diameter of the said tubes. XVhenthus arranged, it will be seen that the tubes of each single row can be taken out or inserted without difficulty through the wide space next to it, while at the same time the spaces between the several tubesconstituting each double row may be made as narrow as desirable, with the view to obtain a great amount of heating-surface within a boiler of limited size.

The rear ends of the tubes on one side of the boiler are secured to a tube-sheet d, and the other half to another and corresponding tube-sheet d on the otherside. A space e is left between the two tube-sheets, in which space is formed a flue leading from the main fluef among the tubes to the smoke-box g behind,

and forward of this flue there is a check or,

defieetor g', placed in the middle space between the series of tubes, so that the products of combustion traveling rearward shall be deflected to the right and to the left among the tubes, and .then back again among the tubes to reach the central flue leading to the smoke-box. In this way the heated gases have a full and efficient action on the tubes. A wire-gauzed net-work h is attached to and interposed between the rear end of the flue e and the usual exhaust-pipe i in the smokeboX.

It will be seen that by opening the usual door in the baclc of the smoke-box and taking out the wire-gauze at the rear end of the flue e a convenient space is obtained, through which the'water-tub'es can be taken out and reinserted with facility without the necessity of locating the door of the furnace for special purpose of repairs, and which in some instances would be attended with serious difficulty.

The ash-pany' under the grate is constructed with a false bottom k, of sheet metal, leaving an open space l between it and the main bottom m. This space orl channel-way is left open at one end n, which may be termed the `:front when the locomotive is traveling forward, that air. may be forced into the space Z.

by the travel of the engine through the air; and as the air passes through this space it will be heated by the false bottom, which derives heat by radiation from the fire on the grate above. The false bottom does not extend the whole length of the ash-pan, and an opening o is left at the rear end, through which the heated air is forced in an unbroken column into the ash-pan to blow the fire on the grate. In this way an eiiicient blast ot heated air is produced to blow the tire by the mere forward motion of the locomotive.

As a modification of the construction of the ash-pan herein described, the grate-bars p are made hollow and open at each end, the front end to receive air by the travel of the locomotive through the air and the other end opening into the ash-pan for the discharge of the air which is thus forced through each grate-bar in an unbroken column and discharged into the ash-pan to excite the fire. The admission of the blast in an unbroken column or columns through the channel-way under the false bottom of the ash-pan or through the hollow grate-bars, or either, in contradistinction to introducing the air directly into the ash-pan through an aperture inv front, effectually prevents eddies in the ash-pan, which is known frequently to force portions of fire out of the aperture through which the air enters. The aperture or passage between the main and false bottom should be provided with a damper r to regulate the blast or t-o shut oif at the pleasure of the engineer.

Back of the lire-chamber a hole s is made in the bottom of the main flue, to which is fitted a cylindrical or other shaped receptacle t, having a bottom pierced with small holes u. This receptaclecan be lined inside with iirecla-y or other refractorysubstance or protected from heat by surrounding water. J ust back of this receptacle there is a check or defleetor lv in the main Iiue. As the gaseous products 4of combustion are impelled from the lirechamber through the main flue they are checked and defiected to the right and left by the deliector e. This checks the momentum of the small particles of coal which are carried out of the fire-chamber by the force of the current, and being checked they fall in the receptacle and are there consumed. iVhen they fallin the receptacle they are in a highlyheated state and some of them in a state of ign ition, and, being supplied with air through the small apertures in the bottom of the receptacle, combustion continues until they are entirely consumed. In this way the lines are prevented from being choked by the accumulation of solid particles of coal and heat is evolved from fuel which would otherwise be wasted. It' the supply of air be too great the particles ot' coal will be cooled below the point of ignition and in a short time the receptacle will be filled with solid particles of coal, which it'not removed will permit the evil to go on which is so desirable to avoid.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In the construction ,of a steam-boiler,

' the arrangement of the tubes and the connection of a receptacle substantially such as herein described for consuming the fine particles of coal which are carried by the force ot' the blast or draft from the tire-chamber into the fines, the said receptacle being placed below the botto'm of the main flue and communicating therewith and between the firechamber, and a check or defiector in the main flue to check the momentum of the particles of coal and cause them to drop into the receptacle to be consumed, substantially as described.

2. In the construct-ion of the boiler, substantially such as herein described, forming a single flue in the middle for the passage of the products of combustion from the main flue surrounding the water-tubes to the smokebox by securing the' rear ends of the watertubes to two tube-sheets, one half to each of said tube-sheets, and leaving a space between the two tubesheets for the passage of the said middle flue when this is connected with a check or, detiector placed in the main flue among the water-tubes and in front. of the said middle flue, substantially as described, to prevent the products ot' combustion from taking a direct course to the said middle flue, as described.

3. Arranging the bent-up ends of the watertubes where they v are connected with the crown-sheet of the furnace in a series of double longitudinal rows and leaving spaces between the double rows of greater width than the external diameter of the water-tubes, substantiall y as described, to admit of taking out and inserting the tubes, while in other respects the said tubes may be placed as near to each other as may be desired.

F. I). DIMPFEL. 

